When seeking service, most individual or business consumers have only the listings in the telephone Yellow Pages or advertising to consult. They have had no method of judging the quality and reliability of service providers, beyond personal referrals or recommendations of friends or relatives. Typically:                Trade or professional associations will only attest to membership in good standing;        Local Better Business Bureaus will advise of membership, and if complaints were filed; and        Government licensing departments will confirm if current license is in force, and may have a section to record and investigate complaints.        
These resources typically will only attest to whether the service provider has the right to do business in its trade, and sometimes record and publish complaints that are brought to their attention. Even so, many trades and complaints fall through the cracks at this inadequate level. There is no central clearinghouse of service provider's performance that offers insight into their qualification, reliability, and quality of workmanship, and which is easily accessible by the general public to receive or input the needed information.
In the past, people have attempted to use web-based technology to put service providers in contact with potential consumers. For example, several web sites exist that provide a database of service providers. Consumers can search the database for providers specializing in particular tasks or having particular expertise. However, such prior web sites do not provide a component that prequalifies service providers before they are listed in the database, and ensures that listed service providers continue to be qualified.
Certain web-based technology also allows consumers to rate products or services. For example, some web sites act as impromptu forums that allow consumers to write about their experiences and post their writings for other consumers to read. Other web sites invite consumers to post a review or rating for particular products or services. Still other sites (e.g., Consumer Reports) post ratings by a third party (i.e., the Consumer Reports test lab) in a searchable database that can be accessed by consumers on a pay-per-use and/or subscription basis.
However, none of these prior approaches have solved the problem of how to conveniently direct a consumer to a particular service provider meeting certain criteria set by the consumer as well as certain criteria set by an independent third party.
The present invention solves this problem by providing a service that maintains a minimum criteria level for service providers to be listed and available for public access. It can list not only the service provider's credentials and insurance support (with monitored expiration dates), but may also provide a current up-to-date rating system by the users themselves, as to the satisfaction level of the quality and reliability of the work performed. It can also offer a double-check of the credentials by customer verification input. Furthermore, the example service provided by the present invention can be easily accessible by the general public (for individual or business use) on the Internet, or by printed text directories sold in bookstores.
An implementation of the present invention provides the following advantageous features and/or advantages:                Compile profile information of service providers (through solicitation, advertising or recommendation), and organize in database by trade and location.        Qualify service providers above minimum standards. Qualification categories may include: a) duration of business, b) meeting licensing requirements, c) insurance coverage, and d) customer experience references. Qualification information may be updated continually by company through service provider or consumer input, to maintain minimum standards.        Qualification information, including updates and consumer experience ratings, are maintained in the database as part of the individual service provider's profile, available for selection on the web-site by the consumer. Only information for service providers above minimum standards is displayed on the web-site.        Consumers sign on to web-site with their individual (personal or business) profile information.        Consumers become customers after registration.        Web-site is accessible by customers (pay-per-use or by subscription) to find qualified service providers in a specific trade, in close proximity to their home or business. The web-site cross-references the customer trade request and their zip-code with service providers in the database under that trade, in or near the same zip-code. The web-site may also be searched for a specific service provider. Customers can enter on the web-site, their individual experience rating for a listed service provider. This will be added to the rating summary in the database for that service provider.        Customers can recommend to the company, through the web-site, additional service providers for listing consideration. Such recommendation will automatically cause the system, after checking for duplication, to generate the mailing of a listing application invitation to that service provider.        